Forensic Evidence in the Criminal Justice System has been in the news again recently – with the confiscation of mobile phones for evidence in rape cases stirring mixed opinions. Here we look at how forensic evidence in used.

The Crown Prosecution Service has issued new guidance to prosecutors as to which offences may be committed regarding “child-like” sex dolls after more than 200 seizures by Customs Officers in the last two years.

New details have emerged about forensic testing deficiencies at two of the country’s leading laboratories. Police are currently investigating the circumstances, and a number of people have been arrested.

An ordinary DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check can reveal previous convictions and cautions. An enhanced check, which is required for many jobs, may reveal more in-depth information held by the police. This can include intelligence, arrests, prosecutions and acquittals.

“Revenge porn” is the criminal act of posting online intimate sexual pictures/video of a person without their consent, which carries a potential prison sentence of up to 2 years, so already there is every reason to think twice before exacting this type of revenge on a former lover.

A Sexual Risk Order (SRO) may be made against any person who has committed ‘an act of a sexual nature’ and where there is reasonable cause to believe that the individual poses a risk of harm to the public in the United Kingdom, or children or vulnerable adults abroad.

There isn’t an actual register, and the phrase refers to notification requirements imposed on some offenders convicted of sexual offences. Over 50,000 individuals are currently subject to notification requirements.